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Published Jan 2012
304 pages
Genre: Thrillers
Publication Information
When Police Colonel Vikorn puts Sonchai in charge of the highest profile criminal case in Thailand - ending trafficking in human organs - Sonchai suspects his boss of ulterior motives. And, of course, he's right: Vikorn is running for governor of Bangkok, and his American handlers insist that he needs a dramatic crime-fighting success right now. But just as Vikorn predicts, Sonchai's "goody-two-shoes Buddhist conscience" takes over. The sting operation begins.
Sonchai travels to Phuket, Hong Kong, Dubai, Monte Carlo, and Shanghai, drawing in a host of players, including an aging rock star wearing out his second liver, and a pair of Chinese twins known as the Vultures - mysterious, diabolical, albeit gorgeous co-queenpins of the international body-parts trade. But closer to home, things are getting dicey for Sonchai: his ex-prostitute wife, Chanya, is craving a dose of "the street." Is Sonchai enlightened enough - forget Buddhism, think jealousy - to let her into his own compromised and compromising world?
"Burdett's work caught on at the beginning and remains strong; all thriller readers should enjoy." - Library Journal
"Burdett's strengths are tilted toward characterization rather than plotting, for Buddhist Sonchai remains a fascinating cross between Buddhist monk and hard-boiled detective." - Kirkus Reviews
"Burdett's writing remains fresh, humorous, and full of insights into Thailand, but readers who prefer focus and suspense should look elsewhere." - Publishers Weekly
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
John Burdett is a nonpracticing lawyer who worked in Hong Kong for a British firm until he found his true vocation as a writer. Since then, he has lived in France and Spain, and Thailand and is now back in Hong Kong. His novels include Bangkok 8, A Personal History of Thirst, The Last Six Million Seconds, Bangkok Tattoo, Bangkok Haunts, The Godfather of Kathmandu, Vulture Peak, and The Bangkok Asset (2015).
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